I was looking into purchasing my first camera drone for recreational filming along hikes and outdoor adventures. I've flown some cheap sub-$100 drones before and loved it, but was looking for a more capable drone that could give some cool experiences and videos. I do not have a lot of money to spend at the moment, preferably something under 400. In my research I found the Bebop 2 at a current price of $299 with the sky controller and two batteries. Seemed like a good deal, compared to other drones such as those made by DJI, which had better camera quality, but at a cost of around $150-$200 more than the Bebop 2. I've also read about the MJX Bugs 3 which is below $150 and has less features, but may be more suited for a beginner like me?
 
I'm new to this field and I may be overlooking some key factors. The bebop 2 seems to have decent reviews, and so do the drones made by DJI, but maybe those are too complex for beginners and I should just stick with cheaper drones. I'm curious if there is any input the community can give regarding a possible purchase? really what I'm looking for in my first drone is something that can take decent video (1080p is fine with me), durable, and intuitive - as I'm still new.
I saw some information about drones in this article: https://thedigitalcamera.net/best-drones-with-camera/, please tell me which is the best.
 
Any advice or experience you can share would be much appreciated, thank you!

I would suggest the DJI Spark. Amazing photos and videos, all the cool flight modes like follow me, selfie etc and compact enough to fit in a backpack
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1...white.html

At that budget level I second the Spark.

Also, you may soon be able to get a better deal on the Spark if you can wait another month or so. With the Mavic 2 being launched on the 23rd of August there is talk that the Spark could be discontinued because the Mavic Air is almost filling that gap at a slightly higher price point so sales of the Spark have started to plummet. Once the Mavic 2 drops, prices of the Spark may well be heavily discounted to clear any remaining stock if they do decide to discontinue production of it.

Personally, I would wait for the Mavic 2 release to buy the Mavic 1. Very compact went folded down. Longer flight time.